What happened
Shortly after departing from Santo Domingo-Las Américas Airport, an aircraft was cruising at 25,000 feet when a critical failure occurred. Approximately 83 km from Santo Domingo, the captain notified Air Traffic Control that the number two engine had exploded, which subsequently triggered a cabin decompression.
Following the emergency, the crew received clearance to perform an immediate return to the airport. The aircraft successfully landed without further incident. While all 117 occupants managed to evacuate the plane safely, the aircraft sustained catastrophic damage. The structural integrity of the fuselage was compromised when fragments from the second engine penetrated the cabin. Due to the extensive destruction of both the number one and number two engines, as well as the damage to the fuselage, the aircraft was declared a total loss.
Findings
- The explosion of the number two engine was the primary event that led to the loss of the aircraft.
- Debris from the engine failure caused a puncture in the fuselage, leading to a loss of cabin pressure.